


Sweet Things in Life

by randomfandom0817



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Froyo, Are froyo aus a thing?, Bucky is a soft bean, Fluff, Gay Natasha Romanov, M/M, Sam Wilson is a Gift, Slow Burn, bucky and nat are besties, it goes with the plot shhh, lots of fluff, self projecting? no way what makes you think that, steve and sam don't know each other in this au, well they are now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-03-06 20:22:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18858427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomfandom0817/pseuds/randomfandom0817
Summary: An AU where Bucky works in a froyo shop and Sam is hopelessly dorky





	1. Chapter 1

“Come on, Sam,” Nat said, nudging Sam in the shoulder. “Froyo! Clint’s paying.”

 

Sam sighed. “Fine. I guess I could use some unwinding.”

 

“Clint it’s a yes!” Nat yelled. Clint whooped from where he was locking up the company mailbox. 

 

“We’re walking,” he said, throwing his arms around Nat and Sam. “South Street FroYo is the best. You’re gonna love it, Sam.”

 

“If you say so,” Sam sighed, following his friends down the street. Clint and Natasha started shoving each other about halfway down the sidewalk. Sam just rolled his eyes and followed the two. 

* * *

  
  


The storefront was pretty cute. The awning was striped pastel pink and green with white interspersed. Two silver tables sat outside the store with pink chairs. Natasha grabbed Sam’s hand and pulled him into the store. The chairs and tables were the same as outside. A row of topping dispensers lined the counter across from the machines.

 

A man was wiping down the tables, his hair pulled up into a bun that poked out of his visor. 

“Welcome to South Street Frozen Yogurt. We have 18 different flavors of yogurt and over 30 different-” He turned around. “Oh, never mind. Hey, Clint. Nat. Thanks for saving me from my spiel. You know the drill.”

 

“Are you two that regular that the employees know you by name?” Sam scoffed. 

 

“Maybe,” Clint said. “Come on, we’ll run you through the process.”

 

Sam half-listened to Clint explain the self-serve yogurt shop. He was more focused on the employee tapping a pen at the register. The apron he was wearing seemed strained over his muscular chest. His arm was made of metal. But what Sam focused on was his eyes. They were  _ blue _ . Like, really blue. 

 

“Sam. Sam. Samuel,” Nat said, snapping in front of his face. “Were you paying attention to us at all? Or were you gawking at James the whole time?”

 

“His name is James?”

 

Clint groaned. He shoved a cup at Sam’s chest. “Look, it’s pretty self-explanatory. They weigh it at the end, it’s paid by ounce. I’m paying, so get what you want.” Clint worked his way through the machines before heading up to the counter, filling his cup with more toppings than anything. “James, my dude!”

 

The man at the counter smiled. “Hey, man. It’s been a few days. Work busy?”

 

“Yeah. My boss is keeping us on our toes. Hey, is that High School Musical?”

 

James laughed. “Yeah. Peter and MJ picked out today’s playlist. Never let a teenager design a playlist for a workplace.”

 

“Well, he is the owner’s son,” Clint laughed. “It makes sense.”

 

“I guess.” He leaned forward and muttered something to Clint that Sam couldn’t hear. Clint muttered something back. Nat flounced up to the counter and nudged Clint as Sam came up behind them. 

 

“So, are you hiring anyone right now?” Sam asked out of curiosity. 

 

“Right now? No. We have a bunch of college kids coming back for the summer. But we’ll hire again in August. Why, you lookin’ for a job?”

 

“Nope, just wondering. So, are you a manager here?” Sam asked, watching as the man, James, tapped the register’s screen.

 

“One of them,” he said. “It’s $21.43, Clint. We have three managers, a day manager, night manager, and all-around manager. Our all-around manager is on maternity leave right now, though.” He looked up. “You have your punch card?”

 

Nat dug around in her wallet. “Here it is.”

 

“Hey, look at that, you get one free today!” James laughed. “You eat here way too much. I  _ just  _ gave you this a few days ago.”

 

“That may be true,” Nat shrugged. “But we like this place. Nice employees, too. Though the night manager can be kind of a jerk sometimes.”

 

“Ha-ha, Nat. Now get out of here. Nice to meet you, Sam.”

 

“You too, James.”

 

“Call me Bucky.”


	2. Chapter 2

Sam tapped at his keyboard, bored out of his mind. It wasn’t that he hated his job, it was just that he hated staying late at his job. But when Nick Fury tells you to stay late, you don’t argue. Sam checked his watch and sighed in relief. He started shutting down his computer. 

“Bye, Nick!” he called, waving towards his boss’s office. Fury lazily waved back, scribbling on notebook paper. Sam walked out to his car, feeling the tension of work ease just a bit. 

He found himself at South Street Frozen Yogurt. Sam didn’t know how, but he figured froyo would help calm him down. The store was empty, but according to the sign, they were open for another 45 minutes. Sam stepped into the store, smiling when he saw Bucky at the counter again.

“Hey! It’s Sam, right?” he asked, smiling. 

“You remembered!”

Bucky laughed as Sam grabbed one of the yogurt cups. 

“Hey, James?” a teen girl said, poking her head out of the back room. “Can you take the recycling out to the dumpster? I would, but I don’t trust the guys from the burger place. They give me the creeps.”

“Sure thing, Ally. Finish this sale for me?”

The girl smiled. “Okay. Thank you so much.” She stepped up to the counter as Sam set his cup on the scale. “Hi, how are you today? Do you have a punch card with us?”

“Uh, I don’t, actually.”

“Would you like to start one?”

“Sure, why not?”

“Would you like to leave an email with us as well? You’ll get notifications when our flavors change and whenever we have a promotion.” The girl handed Sam a card with one hole punch. 

“Sure, why not?”

She handed Sam a small card and a pen. “Just fill this out and we’ll get you on the list.”

“Oh, well, thank you.”

“Your total is $4.37.”

“Yep, they were hanging around our dumpsters again,” Bucky said, coming back to the front. “Told those punks they’d leave you alone if they know what’s good for them.”

“Thanks, Buck. I’m gonna finish cleaning the back room, ‘kay?”

“Yeah, go ahead, I got this.”

“Wow, the night manager has some guts,” Sam said, taking a bite of his yogurt.

“Yeah, well, you grow up with Natasha and you kind of have to be tough.”

“Wait, you grew up with Nat? I thought she just knew you from coming here all the time.”

“Nah, we were neighbors growing up. Clint only knows me from here, though.” He laughed and tapped at the register.

“So, you have like a ton of blackmail on Nat?”

“Oh, lots of it. But don’t tell her I told you. She’ll gut me like a fish.”

Sam laughed. “Well, I’m gonna get going, let you close up. Pretty sure you don’t want to stay later than you have to.”

Bucky smiled. “Hey, you left your email.”

“Yeah. Lookin’ for those discounts.”

Bucky smiled. “Well, we’ll have to get you on that list.”

Sam smiled at Bucky and walked out of the shop, the bell chiming above him.


	3. Chapter 3

“Oh, god, who closed last night?” Bucky groaned when he stepped into the messy shop. It was one of the rare Saturdays where he opened the store. There was a puddle of water on the floor by the cold toppings bar and sprinkles still stuck to the floor in the customer area. Bucky groaned and rubbed his face. “Alright.” 

 

Bucky walked to the backroom and read the nightly chore board, looking at all the names on the board. He found the notebook for the shift manager’s notes, hoping it’ll explain the mess.

 

_ Group of middle schoolers came in ten minutes to close, made a huge mess. We tried to clean up before we had to clock out, but we didn’t get around to mopping. Damien and Isabel were very helpful - MJ _

 

Bucky sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He started pulling toppings out of the walk-in fridge when he heard the bells chime. He brought the toppings out to the front. “Hey, Peter.”

 

“Hey. Wow, it’s a mess in here.”

 

“Yeah. Can you clean up the customer area while I set the rest up?”

 

“Sure, Buck.” Peter grabbed the broom from the back and started sweeping up all the sprinkles.

 

The two were a good team, for the most part. Peter could be cocky and sarcastic, but so could Bucky. That’s why they got along well.

 

In less than ten minutes, the store was ready to open. Bucky and Peter stood at the front of the store. 

 

“Ready to unlock the door, kid?”

 

Peter laughed. “No. But let’s do this. I’m only here until four.”

 

Bucky unlocked the front door and hauled the A-Frame OPEN sign out to the sidewalk. “Hello, Mr. Kirchner!” he called to the owner of the laundromat a few doors down. 

“Good afternoon, Mr. Barnes!” he called back, pulling his keys out of your pocket. “Waiting for the lunch rush?”

 

“Just opened, it should be a little while.”

 

“Oh, well, I hope business is good, today. The weather should be nice.”

 

“Thank you, Mr. Kirchner. Enjoy your lunch.” Bucky slipped back in the store. Peter was tapping on the register. “Making a new playlist?”

 

“Yeah. How do we feel about some Queen?”

 

“Love me some Freddie Mercury.”

 

Peter smiled and tapped the screen. “Hey, were the tips counted yesterday? MJ said she might have forgotten a few things.”

 

“I’ll go check. You can run the front?”

 

“Yeah, I’m good. I’ll just make some more playlists until we get customers.”

 

“Got it.” Bucky walked to the back and found the full jar of tip money. He sighed and dumped it on the counter to start counting. There were a lot of tips for just one day. Bucky grabbed the sheet of the hours everyone worked to divide up the tips and add to the piles.

 

“Hey, Pete, I set your tips on top of your phone in the back,” Bucky said, coming out of the front room.

 

“Thanks, Buck. Hey, what’s the code for the military discount?”

 

“Military 65, all caps, no spaces.” 

 

“Thanks. Here’s your spoon, sir. Your total comes down to $6.86.”

 

The bell above the door chimed and Bucky looked up, about to go into the welcome speech, but when he saw Natasha, he sighed with relief. “Hey, Nat.”

 

“Hey. Oh, Nana wants to know when you’re gonna visit.”

 

“Again? I told her last time, I have a busy schedule and I don’t know if I can go back home.”

 

“James, you’re gonna break that old lady’s heart.”

 

Bucky sighed. “All right. I can do dinner next Saturday. You’re gonna be there, right?”

 

“Of course. I never miss Lasagna Saturdays with Nana.”

 

Bucky laughed. “Man, she really took care of us. You ever wonder what would have happened if she didn’t live down the hall from our families? We probably never would have started calling Ms.Crespi nana.”

 

“Yeah. You would have just been that weird kid who lived down the hall from me.”

 

“Ha-ha. Get your yogurt, loser.”

 

“You guys are fun,” Peter said. “Oh, Camp Rock!” He clicked on the song, a wide smile across his face.

* * *

  
  


“So, James,” the old woman Bucky and Nat referred to as Nana said over dinner the following week, “how are things with you and Steve?”

 

“Uh, actually, Nana, we broke up. A few months ago.”

 

“What? Oh, but you were so cute together. Oh, well, you’ll find another boy who makes you happy. I’d like to see you at least dating again before you ship me off to an old-folks’ home.”

 

“Uh-”

 

“He has his sights set on someone, Nana,” Nat said. 

 

“Nat, what ar-”

 

“His name’s Sam, he works with me and Clint. Really nice guy. Super smart, too. But Bucky hasn’t asked him out yet.”

 

“Uh, Nat, can I speak to you for a moment? Privately?”

 

“Yeah.” They pushed up from the table and Bucky dragged Natasha into the spare bedroom. “What are you doing? Why are you telling Nana this?”

 

“Well, it’s true. Buck, I know you better than anyone, I know when you’re crushing hard. And he’s crushing on you, too. I can tell. He’s not as good at hiding what  he’s feeling.”

 

“Are you serious?”

 

“Would I lie about this to you?”

 

“No.”

 

“Get yourself out there, Barnes. He likes you, you like him. Go for it.”


	4. Chapter 4

Bucky walked up to the building holding Nat’s office, pushing the buzzer to be let up. 

 

“James Barnes, here for Natasha Romanoff,” he said into the speaker. The door buzzed and he let himself up. He stood in the elevator, wishing it still played music or something. When the door opened to her floor, he walked towards her desk. 

 

“Hey, loser!” he called. Natasha looked up with a roll of her eyes. 

 

“What?”

 

“Left your phone at home this morning,” Bucky said, tossing it to her. 

 

“Oh. Thanks, man. Hey, we’re still on for the gym tonight, right?”

 

“Yep. You, me, and Clint.”

 

“And Sam.”

 

“Course you invited him,” Bucky sighed. “Well, I’m gonna get going, okay?” He leaned down by Nat’s chair and kissed her cheek. “Don’t be late.”

 

As Bucky headed out, Sam rolled his chair up next to Natasha. 

 

“You two live together?” Sam asked.

 

“Yeah. When Buck broke up with his last boyfriend, he moved back in with me in our old apartment. Love the guy, but sometimes bringing home a date is a bit awkward. You know, I bring a girl home, it’s late, and Bucky’s there waiting for me to get home like my father when I was 16 and rebellious.” Nat shook her head with a smile. “But it is funny to see him struggle with that damn arm in the morning when he’s half asleep.”

 

“Oh. Why’d he break up with his last boyfriend?”

 

“I’d ask him that,” Nat said. “It’s a long story. If it were a movie, it would be a 3-part series.” Nat shook her head. “Both drama queens, the pair of them.” She peered out the window. “Oh, look, there’s Buck squinting in the sunlight. Get a pair of sunglasses, you loser!” she called. Bucky flipped her off and Nat sat back in her chair, laughing.

* * *

  
  


“You’re late again,” Bucky said when Nat finally came to the gym. “Told you not to be.”

 

“Oh, chill out, Barnes,” Natasha said, tossing her bag into the locker. “Fury made us stay late.”

 

“Fine, fine. So, you ready to get into this?”

 

“Let’s go, man,” Clint said. “I have to leave by 7, though. Laura said if I get back late, there’ll be no food left.” 

 

“Still can’t believe you have kids, man,” Bucky said. “How old is your girl now? 7?”

 

“8.”

 

“8??? 8 years old? No, you’re lying. That’s not right.”

 

“Yeah, man. Her birthday party’s next weekend. We’re trying to book your place, actually.”

 

“Oh, god. Don’t do that to me, man!” Bucky laughed as they started warming up. “That’s too many little kids at once. It’s a small shop, Clint! You really think ten little girls in one small yogurt shop won’t sound like a jet taking off?”

 

“Come on, man. It’s Lila!”

 

Bucky sighed. “Fine. I’ll see what we can do. But it’s just because we like you.”

 

“Ready to spar?” Nat asked, tying her hair back.

 

“Yeah. Clint?” Bucky detached his arm and handed it off to Clint. “Come on, Nat. You know the rules. Hand behind your back.”

 

Nat rolled her eyes and tucked her arm behind her back. “Let’s go, you big baby.”

 

“So, this is a recurring thing?” Sam asked Clint as the two stood watching the others land blows and kicks to each other. 

 

“Yeah. James’s arm is uncomfortable when they fight, so I hold it for him.” He glanced at his watch. “Oh, shit. Guys, I gotta go!”

 

“Just leave my arm on the bench, I’ll get it later,” Bucky said, swiping Nat’s legs from underneath her. 

 

“Uh, I can hold it,” Sam offered. He took the arm from Clint and watched as Nat and Bucky continued, seemingly equally matched. Bucky finally pinned Nat down after what felt like hours.

 

“See, even with one arm attached, I can kick your ass.”

 

“Oh, fuck off, Barnes.” She sat up and shouldered her bag. “I’m gonna hit the showers, then we can all go grab some Wendy’s or McDonald’s or something.”

 

“Seems kinda counter-active,” Sam said. “Shouldn’t we be getting healthy food?”

 

“Don’t question our process, Wilson!” Nat said. She tapped Bucky’s arm before flouncing off to the women’s showers.

 

“I’ll take my arm back now,” Bucky said to Sam.

 

“Oh, yeah, here you go,” Sam said, handing Bucky the arm. He watched as Bucky reattached it in a span of six seconds. Sam cleared his throat. “So, uh, if you don’t mind me asking, how’d you get a metal arm? Obviously you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

 

“No, it’s okay,” Bucky said with a smile. “It’s kind of a funny story, in a macabre way.” He flexed the fingers on his metal hand. “I served in the army for a while. I was overseas and I, uh, this is gonna sound kinda stupid, but I fell off a train. I should probably mention the train was elevated.”

 

“What? How…”

 

“Don’t know. By all accounts, I should have died.” Bucky smiled. “Pretty sure the only reason I survived was because it was freezing. Literally freezing. But when they got me back to the med tent, they realized they couldn’t save my arm. I left the army after that. When I was shopping for a prosthetic, I just thought, how badass would it be if I had a fuckin metal arm? Like how cool would that be?”

 

Sam laughed. “It is pretty badass. Makes you look like a cyborg. But I can only imagine how messed up that made you.”

 

“Oh, it really fucked me up,” Bucky said. “It’s been four years since I left and I’m still in therapy. But Karen’s pretty great.”

 

“Do you still talk to anyone in your unit?” Sam asked. 

 

“Not so much. Most of them are still serving, and I never clicked with them much anyway. What about you? Nat said you were in pararescue for a while.”

 

“Yeah,” Sam said, scooping up a bit of ice cream. “I was there for a few years, met my best friend in the service. After Riley got his dumbass shot down, I couldn’t keep serving.”

 

“I know what you mean. You don’t have to keep talking about it.” Bucky smiled softly at Sam. “So, you wanna hit the weights or something?”

 

“You don’t wanna shower at all?”

 

“Nah, not here. I can’t wear my arm in the shower and the steam can make the joints act up, so I usually just wait until Nat and I get home. Speaking of. Hey! That was quick.”

 

“Yeah, well, I don’t take forever to do my hair like you do.”

 

“Ha-ha. Let’s go, dork. Where do you guys want to go?”

 

“Well, Sam’s the newbie, we should let him pick.”

 

“Uh, how about McDonald’s? Classic, big menu, everyone can find something.”

 

“Sure, sounds good,” Nat said. “James is paying so get the most expensive meal you can.”

 

Bucky flipped her off with one hand and slung his bag over his shoulder with the other. Sam chuckled at the two, shaking his head as he followed them out to Natasha’s car.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam smiled to himself as he pushed the door to South Street Yogurt open. When he stepped inside, he saw a teenage girl standing at the register. 

 

“Hello, welcome to South Street Frozen Yogurt. Have you been here before?”

 

“Yep. I was actually wondering if Bucky was in. I’m a friend of his, Sam.”

 

“Oh, he talks about you all the time! But, uh, he’s actually not in today,” the girl said. “He teaches self-defense classes on Tuesday, over on 5th ave.”

 

“Thanks.” Sam pulled out his wallet and tossed a dollar in the tip jar. “I feel bad coming in and not buying anything.” Sam slipped out of the shop and started heading towards 5th ave. He found the gym and decided to step in and see what was going on. 

 

“Alright, ladies, that was lovely. I’ll see you next week. Remember, you are all strong and powerful. I have water bottles if any of you forgot one,” Bucky said He grabbed a towel and wiped his face while a few women walked over to grab bottles of water. 

 

“So, you teach self-defense classes?” Sam said, walking up to Bucky. “I seriously think I learn something new about you every day.”

 

Bucky smiled at Sam. “Nice of you to drop by. I was just finishing up my last class of the day.”

 

“Bucky,” one of the women said, walking up to him. She didn’t look much older than 20.

 

“What’s up, Sarabella?”

 

“I actually got to use what you taught us the other night when I was out with my friends.”

 

“Really? What happened, are you alright?”

 

“Oh, yeah, everyone turned out fine. Some drunk guy started hitting on my friend so I kicked his ass. Didn’t get a single scratch on me.”

 

“I’m proud of you, kid,” Bucky said, holding his fist out. She bumped it. “Remember, next week’s gonna be intense. Bring lots of water.”

 

“I will. I’ll see you next week, Buck!”

 

Bucky smiled and picked up the case of water bottles and a plastic container. “You like sugar cookies?” he asked Sam.

 

“Who doesn’t like sugar cookies?”

 

Bucky laughed and handed him the container. “One of the girls made me a bunch of cookies. I already have a loaf of banana bread and a whole case of cupcakes at home. I’m trying to get rid of some of these.”

 

“So, is it just a women’s class?” Sam asked, pulling one of the cookies out of the container and replacing the lid.

 

“That one is. I teach a mixed class, too, but not as many people are enrolled in that one. It’s mostly straight guys who want to boast about how strong they are. There’s one or two women in that class, but it’s because they’re friends with the guys.” Bucky rolled his eyes. “It’s really annoying. But I love my women’s class. They’re all so sweet to me and actually pay attention. Plus it’s some extra income, which is nice.” They reached Bucky’s car and he shifted the case of water into one hand, fishing in his pocket for his keys. He popped open the trunk and tossed the waters in. “So, you wanna go grab dinner or something? Nat’s staying over her girlfriend’s place tonight so I’m on my own for food.”

 

“Sure. Where were you thinking?”

 

“I don’t know. I’m kinda in the mood for pancakes. Is IHOP chill with you?”

 

“Yeah, man. Pancakes sound good.”

 

Bucky smiled. “Oh, shit. I have to stop by work, first. Apparently a customer broke the handle of our hot fudge dispenser.”

 

“They what?”

 

“Yep. Customer service is great. So, do you want to just meet me there or…”

 

“Nah, I’ll ride with you,” Sam said. “I walked here, anyway.”

 

“That’s a pretty long walk,” Bucky said as they both got settled in Bucky’s car.

 

Sam just shrugged. “I needed the exercise. I sit at a desk all day.”

 

The two chatted as Bucky drove back to the froyo shop, talking about their favorite shows and the music they enjoyed. Bucky pulled up behind the store in the employee lot. 

 

“You can stay in here if you want,” Bucky said, unbuckling his seat belt. “It shouldn’t take too long.” Bucky pulled his keys out of the ignition and shuffled through them until he found the one he was looking for.

 

“I’d love to see the back room of the shop, actually,” Sam said, unbuckling.

 

Bucky smiled. “Come on, I’ll give you a tour.” They got out of the car as one of Bucky’s coworkers, the girl from earlier, came out dragging the trash can behind her. When she got to the dumpster, some guy grabbed her wrist. Bucky was there in an instant.

 

He ripped the man’s arm off and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him up to his face. “Listen here, you little maggot,” Bucky practically growled. “She is _17 fucking years old_ , she is a _child_. You are in your twenties, and quite clearly a coward. No man who’s secure with himself goes after a girl when she’s defenseless and clearly isn’t interested. So if you know what’s fucking good for you, you’ll go back to work and leave her the hell alone. And I’m going to call your HR department and report you.” He let go of the man’s shirt and pushed him away, letting him scurry back to the burger shop he worked in. “Are you alright, Isabel?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay,” she said, rubbing her wrist.

 

“Who else is in there with you?” Bucky asked, gently taking her wrists to make sure she wasn’t hurt.

 

“MJ.”

 

“Can she finish closing without you? I can send you home now if you feel like you need to.”

 

“No, no, I’m okay. There’s not much left for us to do, anyway.”

 

“Are you sure? I can-”

 

“Buck, I’m fine. Just glad you were here. Can you help us fix the hot fudge dispenser now?”

 

“Yeah, come on. Sam, you coming?”

 

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m coming.” Sam followed behind the two, going over the scene he’d just seen. How Bucky went from cruel and menacing to gentle and caring so quickly and easily. Bucky held the door open for Sam. He high-fived the other girl working, MJ, when he got to the front.

 

“So, what happened?”

 

“Some asshole snapped the handle off and didn’t even have the courtesy to tell us,” she said. “I tried super-gluing it back on but it just made my hands sticky.”

 

“I’ll take a look,” Bucky said, turning off the dispenser and pulling the lid off. “I think we have a spare lid in the back somewhere. Can one of you check?”

 

“On it!” MJ said, grabbing the ladder and looking on the shelves where the extra parts were stored. “Found it!” She put the lid together and set it on the dispenser. “What should we do with the broken one?”

 

“Call Tony, see if he can order a new backup, I guess,” Bucky said. “That’s all I can really think of to do. Well, I’m gonna go. I haven’t eaten much all day and I’m going to IHOP. Peter’s opening tomorrow, and we have a delivery coming in, so be prepared for that.”

 

“Got it,” MJ said. “Alright, get out of here. Go stuff your face with pancakes.”

 

“Don’t take the keys home again, Michelle,” Bucky reminded her. “Let’s go, Sam.”

 

They headed back to Bucky’s car, Bucky pulling out his phone on the way. “I hope that asshole knows I was serious about calling the HR department.” He held the phone up to his ear as they climbed into the car. Sam watched Bucky, his face scrunched up as he pressed the buttons the animated voice told him to. Most managers Sam knew wouldn’t have cared this much about one worker. But Bucky wasn’t like most managers, apparently. It made Sam smile, knowing how good Bucky’s heart was.

 

* * *

 

“You went on a date,” Natasha said to Bucky the next morning as they ate leftover pancakes for breakfast. “You straight-up went on a date with Sam.”

 

“What? No, I didn’t! We were just friends eating at IHOP, that’s it.”

 

“Uh-huh. What’d you talk about.”

 

“I don’t know. Our childhoods, dream jobs, pets we’d like to have. You know, stuff like that.”

 

“You let him pay for his half?”

 

“No, I paid for- oh, my god, it was a date, wasn’t it?”

 

“Yeah, James. It was.”


	6. Chapter 6

Bucky sighed as he read the email on his screen. 

 

“You alright?” Nat asked, leaning against his shoulder, handing him an orange slice.

 

“Isabel just emailed me her two-weeks.” He rubbed his forehead as he typed in Tony Stark’s email to forward it to him. 

 

“So, what does this mean for you?”

 

“Well,” Bucky sighed, “Until we get a new hire, me and the other managers are going to be pulling double-weight. Fortunately, it’s summer, so a ton of teens sent in applications.” He rubbed his forehead. “I’m going to miss that girl, though. She was such a great worker. Real funny, too.”

 

“Hmm. Well, that is a bummer. You should come out for drinks with me tonight. You’re off, and you need to de-stress.”

 

“You, Natasha Romanoff, are going to be the death of me.”

 

“Come on, loser. You, me, Clint, maybe Bruce if I can convince him to come out of his hole for the night. It’ll be fun.”

 

Bucky sighed. “Fine. But if I’m going to this thing, you’re the DD. Because I’m going to get absolutely wasted.”

 

“There he is! Okay, we’re leaving at 7, so be ready.” She kissed Bucky’s cheek. “I gotta run, Fury’s gonna be pissed if I’m late again.”

 

“Get out of here then, loser.”

 

Nat laughed and grabbed her bag, waving to Bucky before slipping out of the apartment.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Sammy,” Natasha said, leaning over his chair. “Whatcha up to tonight?”

 

“Probably just watching old reruns of  _ The Office _ . Why?”

 

“A bunch of us are going out for drinks, you should come with us.”

 

“Oh, I don’t know-”

 

“Bucky’s gonna be there.” Sam froze. Natasha could see the wheels turning in his brain. She smiled at him. “We’ll be there at 7, if you decide to show up.”

 

* * *

  
  


Sam  _ did  _ decide to show up. He got there about the same time as Nat and Bucky. Bucky had on a blue button-up shirt and had his hair half pulled up into a bun. The sleeves of his shirt were long, despite the heat, probably to hide his arm, Sam thought. Natasha was in a simple red dress, hanging on the arm of a blonde woman dressed in a grey blouse. Natasha smiled at something she said before noticing Sam. 

 

“Sam! Hey, you came!”

 

“Hey, Natasha, Sharon. You both look lovely. And you look great too, Bucky.”

 

“Thanks, Sam. Same to you.”

 

“Clint here yet?” Nat asked. 

 

“I don’t know, I just got here myself.”

 

“Well, let’s go get some drinks, shall we?”

 

The group headed in and caught up with the others they had invited. A few drinks in, Bucky took his drink and slipped out onto the bar’s patio. He sighed and sipped his Long Island Iced Tea, looking up at the sky. He watched airplanes fly overhead, their red and blue lights flashing in the dark sky.

 

“Sneaking away so soon?” Sam asked, walking up next to Bucky.

 

“Big crowd, big anxiety,” Bucky explained simply. “Natasha always seems to decide on the busiest bars on their busiest nights.”

 

Sam nodded and took a sip of his drink. “I get that. People are loud, reminds you of worse times.”

 

“Yeah.” Bucky rubbed his forehead and sighed. 

 

“Whats up, man? You seem stressed.”

 

“Oh, just work stuff,” he said. “One of our girls quit today, and now I have to process a bunch of paperwork and read over applications since I’m the hiring manager.”

 

“I see why Natasha brought you out for drinks,” Sam said. “That seems like a lot of stress to put on one person.”

 

“It’ll work out, though. Bucky Barnes isn’t one to crumple under stress.”

 

“Oh, so, I never asked,” Sam said. “How did one get Bucky from James?”

 

Bucky laughed and shook his head. “It’s from my middle name. Buchanan.”

 

“James Buchanan… Oh, my god, you were named after the 15th president.” 

 

Bucky laughed and shook his head. “My dad was a huge American history buff. You should have seen how proud he was the day I told him I was going to join the army.” He sighed and leaned against the patio railing. “He died not long after that. Left me to care for my three sisters.”

 

“What about your mom?” Sam asked, studying Bucky’s face.

 

“She died in a car crash when I was 9. Hit us pretty hard. I was lucky for Natasha and Nana, really. Don’t know what I would have done without them.”

 

Sam lightly rested his hand over Bucky’s. Bucky smiled and moved just a bit closer to Sam. He turned his hand over so he and Sam were properly holding hands. They laced their fingers together and just stood in the cool summer breeze, looking up at the crescent moon.

 

Natasha stepped onto the patio, looking for Bucky. When she saw him standing with Sam, their hands together, she slipped back inside silently, smiling to herself. Clint owed her 20 bucks.

* * *

 

 

“So, you finally gonna ask Bucky out or what?” Nat asked Sam the next day at work.

  
“What?”

 

“Saw you two holding hands last night. And you are so obviously right for each other.”

 

“Natasha, I’m not going to just ask him out. I don’t even know if he likes me like that.”

 

“Oh, my god,” Natasha groaned, throwing her head back. “You’re both USELESS. Look, Sam, he likes you. A lot. So get your ass to South Street on your lunch break and fucking ask him out before I lock the both of you in a closet like teenagers playing 7 Minutes in Heaven.”

 

“Okay, okay, damn,” Sam said, holding his hands up. “You can be real scary, Nat.”

 

Sam did go down to South Street FroYo on his lunch break. It happened to be the one day a week Bucky opened the store, so he caught Bucky right before he went inside.

 

“Buck!” 

 

Bucky turned around and smiled his thousand-watt smile at Sam. “Hey, Sam!”

 

“Uh, I need to ask you something,” Sam said.  _ Just rip off the bandage. _

 

“Okay? What’s up?”

 

“Do you, uh, would you want to go to dinner with me tonight? Like a date?”

 

Sam didn’t think Bucky’s smile could get any brighter. “I’d love to,” he said. “I get off at 4, so I’m free any time after that.”

 

“How about 7?” Sam offered. “I’ll pick you up.”

 

“Okay, it’s a date,” Bucky said, his eyes sparkling.

 

“I’ll see you at 7, then.” Sam said with a smile before heading back to work, letting Bucky open up his store.


	7. Chapter 7

“How does this look?” Bucky asked Natasha, showing her the fifth outfit he’d picked out. 

 

She groaned and put her head in her hands. ‘Buck, I love you, but if you ask me about one more outfit, I will kill you. And then you won’t have to worry about what you look like because I’ll be hiding your body.” She started shifting some clothes around. “Here. Wear this.”

 

“Thanks, Nat. Love you.”

 

“Uh-huh.” She ruffled his hair. “I’m heading over to Sharon’s, probably won’t be back until morning.”

 

“Ooh, steal some of her brownies for me.”

 

Natasha rolled her eyes and walked out of Bucky’s bedroom. Bucky took a deep breath and decided to get ready. He actually spent time on his hair, doing more than just a ponytail or a bun. He decided to wear it down, but part it to the side and blow-dry it so it would be more fluffy. He decided against shaving his face, after a 20-minute text debate with a very annoyed Natasha. He was ready almost an hour early and spent the rest of the time pacing the living room. 

 

Bucky didn’t know why he was so nervous. Maybe it was because this was the first date he was going on since the breakup with Steve. It wasn’t that he didn’t  _ want  _ to date, he just found his schedule filling up too fast to make time for a date. And there was the fact that most nights he worked from 5 to 11 PM.

 

Bucky double-checked that he had his phone and wallet in his pockets, debating grabbing a drink when there was finally a knock at the door. Not wanting to look like he was waiting by the door all night, he counted to ten in his head before opening the door. 

 

Sam smiled at Bucky, holding a bouquet of flowers. “Wow. You look… wow. Uh, these are for you,” Sam said, handing Bucky the bundle of flowers. 

 

“These are beautiful, thank you. Uh, would you like to come in? I want to put these in a vase before we go.” Bucky stepped to the side and let Sam step in, then he busied himself with finding a vase in the kitchen.

 

Sam sat on the couch, but quickly shifted, pulling a stuffed animal out of the cushion. “A stuffed horse?” Sam asked. “Should I be worried?”

 

Bucky turned around and laughed. “Oh, no. No, that’s Mr. Sparkle-Hooves, Jr. He’s my niece's.”

 

“You have a niece?” Sam asked, still holding the pony. 

 

“Well, not technically,” Bucky said, filling the vase he finally found with water. “I’m just really close with her parents. About once a month she comes over while her parents go on a date-night. She’s actually coming over tomorrow.” He sighed, drying his hands on the dish towel hanging next to the sink. “Ready to go?”

 

“Yeah. I picked a great place for us tonight,” Sam said. He held his hand towards Bucky, who willingly accepted and took Sam’s hand into his own.

 

“Can’t wait.”

 

* * *

 

 

Sam took Bucky to a nice restaurant. They talked all throughout the dinner, swapping childhood stories and the details of their lives the other didn’t quite know yet. After dinner, Sam took Bucky for a walk in the park. It was a nice night, and the sky was clear enough for some stars to be seen. They walked hand-in-hand, stopping at a small ice cream stand before resuming their walk.

 

“You know, I would have thought you’d be tired of ice cream,” Sam said. “You know, working where you do.”

 

“Oh, Sam, Sam, Sam. Ice cream and frozen yogurt are different. Soft serve ice cream has a completely different texture, and different flavor. I mean, sure, they’re both made with dairy, but yogurt has those cultures in it that make it  _ yogurt _ . Ice cream doesn’t have that.”

 

Sam laughed. “I guess you’re right.”

 

“Oh, shit,” Bucky hissed, grabbing Sam’s hand and pulling his behind a tree.

 

“What? What’s wrong?”

 

Bucky nodded towards the blond man walking towards them. “That’s my ex.”

 

“The blond Adonis in the too-tight muscle tee?”

 

“Uh-huh. I just hope he didn’t see-”

 

“Bucky?”

 

Bucky closed his eyes and winced, mouthing “Damn.” He turned around and forced a smile, unconsciously squeezing Sam’s hand. “Hey, Steve! Long time since I’ve seen you. How-how are things with you and Peggy?”

 

“Oh, good, good. We’re getting married in a few months, actually,” Steve said, scratching the back of his head. “I would have thought Natasha would have told you, seeing as how she’s going as Sharon’s plus-one.”

 

Bucky pursed his lips. “Why would she tell me, Steve? Why would she tell me she’s going to my ex’s wedding, knowing how much of a mess I was when you broke my heart?” He shook his head. “If you’ll excuse me, Steve, I’m trying to enjoy my date with this lovely man here,” he said, looking over at Sam. Sam squeezed his hand before Bucky started pulling him along. 

 

When they were far enough out of earshot, Sam turned to Bucky. “Are you okay?”

 

Bucky sighed and tossed the napkins from his ice cream cone into the nearby trash can. “Yeah. I’m-I’m okay. It’s just, he was a huge part of my life for a long time. Sorry, I really didn’t want to bring up my past relationship on our date.”

 

Sam smiled at Bucky and squeezed his hand, tossing out his own napkins. “It’s alright, really. I mean, we weren’t expecting to run into your ex, I can only imagine how awkward that was for you.”

 

Bucky looked at Sam, his eyes looking over his whole face. He cupped Sam’s cheek with his free hand, looking him in the eyes. Sam gave him the slightest nod before Bucky pressed their lips together. He ran his thumb over Sam’s cheekbone, pulling Sam just a bit closer. When he pulled back, Bucky rested his forehead against Sam’s. Sam smiled and brushed his lips against Bucky’s.

 

“Would you, maybe, wanna head back to my place? We could, uh, watch a movie or something.”

 

“Yeah, I’d like that,” Sam said, squeezing Bucky’s hand.

 

They made the walk back to Bucky’s apartment, never once letting go of the other’s hand. When Bucky unlocked the door, he pulled Sam along to the couch. They sat down and scrolled through Netflix, looking for a movie or a TV show to watch. They settled on watching  _ Parks and Recreation _ , though neither really focused on the show, deciding instead to make out on the couch. When Sam finally decided to head home, it took him about 10 minutes to actually get out the door, promising to text Bucky when he got home and scheduling their next date.

 

When the door closed, Bucky leaned against it with a sigh, smiling to himself. He was totally gone for Sam. 


	8. Chapter 8

Bucky was leaning against his kitchen counter, enjoying his morning coffee when his doorbell went off. He smiled and opened the door, immediately being tackled by a four-year-old with a sparkly unicorn backpack.

 

“Uncle Bucky!”

 

“Morguna!” Bucky said, scooping the girl up. “Hi, Pepper.”

 

“James.” Pepper hugged him from the side. “Oh, before I forget, Tony said he’s changing the name of the store to Sweet Things FroYo.”

 

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Tell your husband I’m going to punch him in his perfect face.”

 

Pepper laughed. “Will do. Peter’s gonna come pick her up around 5-ish. I’m not sure how late his thing with his friends is going to run, though.”

 

“Well, I’m sure we’ll have fun, no matter how late Pete is, right Morgan?”

 

“Yeah! Can we go to the pool today?” 

 

Bucky pretended to think about it. “Hmm, I don’t know…”

 

“Please, Uncle Bucky?” Morgan gave Bucky her best puppy-dog eyes. Bucky felt his resolve break. 

 

“Fine, I guess we can go.”

 

“Yay!”

 

“I’ll see you later,” Pepper said. She kissed the top of Morgan’s head before adjusting her bag and heading out. 

 

“How about we have breakfast before we go? I’ll make chocolate chip pancakes.”

 

* * *

 

 

The walk to the pool wasn’t very far from Bucky’s apartment. Morgan skipped the entire way to the country club, her unicorn backpack thumping against her back. Bucky smiled and took her hand again when they walked up the driveway to the club. 

 

“Okay, Morgan, what are the rules?”

 

“Stay at the pool unless I ask you first, listen to the lifeguards, and stay in the shallow end.”

 

“Good job. I’m gonna grab us a table, okay? You can go get changed.”

 

“Okay!”

 

“No running!” he called after her as she made her way to the bathrooms. He sighed and laid his towel on one of the lounge chairs.

 

“Hey, Bucky!” the pool manager, Darcy said, walking over to where he was unfolding Morgan’s towel. “Haven’t seen you guys here in a while.”

 

“I know, Morgan was bouncing the whole way here,” he laughed. 

 

“Can I get in now?” Morgan asked Bucky, running up to him. 

 

He ruffled her hair. “Go ahead,” he laughed. “I’ll order lunch in a little bit, okay?”

 

“No, come with me!” she said, tugging on his arm. “Please?”

 

Bucky smiled and ruffled her hair. “Alright, alright.” Bucky tugged his shirt off and followed Morgan to the steps to the pool. He slowly started wading in while Morgan decided to jump, splashing Bucky fully in the face. “Good job, kiddo.”

 

“Throw me!” Morgan said, grabbing onto Bucky’s arms.

 

“You sure?”

 

“Yeah!”

 

Bucky dragged Morgan deeper into the water before picking her up, tossing her into the water. She swam back to him and Bucky continued this pattern for a little while. 

 

“Okay, Mo, I’m gonna get out and order us some lunch, okay? I’ll call you when it gets here.”

 

“Okay!”

 

Bucky climbed out of the water and grabbed his towel before checking his phone. He smiled when he saw a text from Sam.

 

**SW: i had fun last night. you free tonight? thinking we could have a night in, watch a movie and order some pizza**

 

Bucky didn’t think too long before replying. 

 

**BB: i’m watching my niece until 5, but after that i’m free. a night in sounds wonderful.**

 

**SW: your place ok? mine is kind of a disaster**

 

**BB: works for me. i’ll see you then [heart emoji]**

 

Bucky set his phone on the table and looked over the menu. He called one of the pool waiters over and placed the order before looking back at Morgan, who was playing with another girl in the pool. He scrolled through his work emails before the food came to the table. 

 

“Morguna, lunch time!”

  
  


“Can we go to the spa?” Morgan asked after they finished their lunch.

 

Bucky took a sip of his soda. “I guess we can,” he said. 

 

The spa at the country club was split into two different sections, kids and adults. While the adult part of the spa was more elaborate and deluxe, the children’s spa was basically hair and nails for the girls. But Morgan loved it, and loved dragging Bucky along to get his hair done, too. Morgan sat in the salon chair, kicking her little legs while she waited for the stylist to get to her. 

 

“Can I get pink stripes in my hair?” she asked Bucky. “Pink and purple?”

 

“We’ll see, okay?”

 

“Okay!”

 

“Hey, guys!” the stylist said when she came over. “So, what are we going for today?”

 

“I want pink and purple in my hair and I want glittery nails!” Morgan said. “And braid Uncle Bucky’s hair with flowers! The little blue ones!”

 

She laughed. “Okay, okay. I think we have pink and purple hair extensions.”

 

* * *

 

“Okay, Mo, it’s time to go home,” Bucky said to Morgan after signing the receipt for the treatments to give to Pepper. Morgan walked over to Bucky from where she was looking in the full-length mirror. She took Bucky’s hand as the two walked back to his apartment. Halfway back, Bucky could tell Morgan was getting tired. He scooped her up and let her rest her head on his shoulder while he carried her back. He climbed the stairs to his apartment and pulled out his keys. Before looking for his house key, he tried the handle. He pushed it open and found Natasha and Sharon curled up on the couch.

 

“Hey B-”

 

“Shh!” Bucky hushed. “She’s asleep.”

 

Natasha pushed herself off the couch and held her arms out. “I’ll take her, let you put things away,” she whispered.

 

“Thanks.” Bucky shifted Morgan over to Natasha before shrugging off the pool bag and her backpack. He glanced at his watch. “Pete should be here soon.”

 

Natasha laid Morgan on the couch next to Sharon and pulled a blanket over the girl. She smiled and pushed a bit of hair out of her face. “How did Tony make such a perfect angel?”

 

Bucky laughed and pulled the wet towels out of the bag. “That’s one of life’s great mysteries.”

 

“Oh! Babe, I gotta go,” Sharon said, getting up and kissing Natasha’s cheek. “Peggy and I are going to go pick out the china. Apparently Steve’s too busy to go.”

 

Bucky scoffed and draped the towels over the kitchen chairs. “Figures.”

 

Sharon grabbed her bag and moved to the door. When she opened it, she said, “Oh, hi, Sam! I’d love to stay and chat, but I have wedding planning to do.” She rushed out and Nat shook her head. 

 

“Hey, Sam,” Natasha said. “You can come in, you don’t have to stand in the hallway all night.”

 

Sam stepped into the apartment and held up a paper bag in his hand. “I brought some takeout,” he said.

 

“Oh, great,” Bucky said, walking over and kissing his cheek. “Uh, I actually still have my niece,” he said, gesturing to where Morgan was sleeping. “Her brother’s supposed to be here soon.”

 

“Looks like you had a fun day today,” Sam said. “Your hair looks nice.”

 

“Wha- oh.” Bucky pulled a forget-me-not out of his hair. “Sorry, Morgan wanted to have makeovers.”

 

“No, no, it’s cute,” Sam assured him. “Your hair looks good in the braids.”

 

“Ugh, you two are sickening,” Natasha said. “I’m heading to my room.”

 

“So, that’s your niece?” Sam asked after Bucky handed him a glass of water. “She’s adorable.”

 

Bucky smiled. “Morgan is the light of my life. I know she’s not technically my family, but I’d do anything for her.”

 

“I believe it.”


End file.
